Automatic rhythm performance device

ABSTRACT

A plurality of inverting circuits and/or clipper circuits are connected to a counting circuit to synthesize the output signal of the counting circuit. The synthesized output signal becomes a desired rhythm.

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tput signal of tput signal becomes a SPEAKER AMPLIFIER 14 1 Mar; 21,1972 PERCUSS! VE SOUND GENERATOR References Cited Campbeii.........

ABSTRACT UNITED STATES PATENTS 1 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures HM TO I? -1-I I I I l L.

3,255,292 6/1966 Park 3,358,068 l2'll967 3,482,027 12/1969 Okamoto etal. Primary Examiner-Lewis H. Myers Assistant Examiner-U. WeldonAttorney-Kurt Kelman A plurality of inverting circuits and/or clippercircuits are connected to a counting circuit to synthesize the on 1/00the counting circuit. The synthesized ou desired rhythm.

DIFFERENTIATION SELEC CIRCUIT I @gmgas 84/DIG. l2, DIG. 8

Ikutaro Kakehashi, c/o Ace Electronic Industries, lnc., 75-17Kitajima-cho, Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka-shi, Japan June 3, 1971 .84/l.03,84/l.24, 84/DIG, 8 .84 i )l i153, 1.24, 1.26,

VARIABLE REslsTAuT FREQUENCY CIRCUIT TEMPO NE TW.0RK OSCILLATORPERFORMANCE DEVICE Foreign Application Priority Data June 10, 1970United, States Patent.

Kakehashi [54] AUTOMATIC RHYTHM [72] Inventor:

[22] Filed:

[21 1 Appl. No.:

[51] Int.

[58] FieldoiSearch PATENTEDMARZI 1912 SHEET 1 OF 5 MNEN r011 KLLTHRGKAKIIDSH I mu mam PATENTEDMARZI I972 3.651.241

SHEET4-UF5 Fig.5

B I l I r r INVENTOR.

I Raw-nae Manama! I PATENTEDMARZI I972 SHEET 5 [1F 5 Fig 6 AUTOMATICRHYTHM PERFORMANCE DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This inventionrelates to an automatic rhythm performance device and, moreparticularly, to'a device in which any desired rhythm can be obtained bysynthesizing the rectangular waveforms of output signals from aplurality of counting circuits into inverting circuits with resistantcircuit networks and/or into clipper circuit with resistant circuitnetworks.

In a prior art rhythm performance device using electronic system, anydesired type of pulse train is obtained by combining sequential pulsesfrom counter circuits combined to a tempo oscillator to make a ringcircuit, by picking up pulses necessary to make the pulse train and bysynthesizing the pulses. According to this device, the number of thecounter circuits becomes equal to the number of the minimum units of therhythm to be obtained so that a large number of constitutional elementsare required to make up the device.

In another prior art rhythm performance device using electronic system,any desired type of pulse train is obtained by connecting diode matrixcircuits to counter circuits and, in this matrix circuits, output pulsesobtained by differentiating directly the output signal of the countercircuits are synthesized with output pulses of square wavefon'n obtainedfrom the counter circuits without losing the DC component of the pulses.According to this device, the number of the counter circuits are madeless than that of the first mentioned prior art device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In this invention, the output signals from acounting circuit is synthesized by means of resistant circuit networksprovided at the first stage of inverting circuits and/or clippercircuits and, therefor, an automatic rhythm performance device isobtained with less constitutional elements than those in any prior artdevice.

It is an object of this invention to provide an automatic rhythmperformance device in which a desired rhythm is obtained by synthesizingthe square waveforms of output signals from a counting circuit ininverting circuits, in clipper circuits and/or in a combination circuitsthereof.

It is another object of this invention to provide an automatic rhythmperformance device in which resistant circuit networks are used inplaceof any prior art diode matrix so that the cost becomes less for thesimplicity of the resistant circuit networks which use principallyresistances.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. I shows the block diagram of anembodiment of the automatic rhythm performance device provided inaccordance with this invention,

FIG. 2 shows the output waveforms of the counter circuits shown in FIG.1,

FIG. 3 is the inverting circuit of this invention,

FIG. 4 is the clipper circuits of this invention,

FIG. 5 shows the pulse waveforms which explain the operation of theinverting circuits shown in FIG. 3, and 1 FIG. 6 shows the pulsewaveforms which explain the opera tion of the clipper circuits shown inFIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In FIG. I, a variable frequencytempo oscillator l is connected to a counter circuit 2 comprising aternary counter circuit 3 and flip-flop circuits 4 to 7 connected inseries. The tempo oscillator can be implemented employing a pulsegenerator and frequency control as shown in US. Pat. No. 3,358,068 to R.H. Campbell, Jr. and hereby incorporated by reference. The outputs ofthe'fiip-flop circuits are connected to a plurality of resistant circuitnetworks 8. The output of the resistant circuit networks connected to aplurality of inverting rectifiers II through differentiation circuits 9or to a plurality of differentiation circuits 12 through clippers I0.The outputs of the inverting rectifiers and the differentiation circuitsare connected to rhythm selectors 13, the output therefrom beingconnected to a plurality of percussive sound generators 14. The outputsof the percussive sound generators are connected to a speaker 16 throughan amplifier 15. An inverting circuit I is comprised of resistantcircuit networks 8, differentiation circuits 9 and inverting rectifiersII and a clipper circuit II is comprised of resistant circuit networks8, clippers l0 and differentiation circuits 12.

As shown in detail in FIG. 3, the inverting circuit I is comprised ofthe following elements:

Input terminals 17, 18, I9 and 20 are connected respectively to one endof resistances R,, R,, R, and R The other ends of the resistances R,,R,, R, and R are connected to apoint P and the point P is furtherconnected to one end of a resistance R, and to one end of a capacitanceC The other end of the resistance R, is grounded. The other end of thecapacitance C is connected to a point P The point P, is connected to oneend a of a resistance R. and to one end of the primary winding of atransformer T The other end of the resistance R, is grounded. The otherend of the primary winding is also grounded. To the secondary .windingof the transformer T, the cathodes of diodes D and D, are connected andthe center tap of the transformer T, is grounded. The anodes of the twodiodes are connected to an output terminal 21.

As shown in detail in FIG. 4, the clipper circuit II is comprised of thefollowing elements:

. Input terminals 22, 23 and 24 are connected respectively to one end ofresistances R-,, R, and R The other ends of the resistances R R and R,are connected to a point P and the point P is-further connected to oneend of a resistance R and .to the anode of a diode 0;. The other end oftheresistance R is grounded and the cathode of the diode D, is connectedto a reference voltage E,. The point P is connected to one end of acapacitance C, through a point P The other end of the capacitance C, isconnected to a point P The point P, is connected to one end of aresistance R and to the cathode of a diode D The anode of the diode D isconnected to an output terminal 25.

The diode D serves as a clipper at a proper level to the stepped waveswhich are synthesized by resistant circuit network 8 in order to obtaina plurality of rectangular waveform necessary to constitute a desiredrhythm. The diode D, serves as a buffer diode to minimize the effects ofother circuit. The reference voltage E; provides a voltage level atwhich clipping is effected. v

The number of the inverting circuit I and the clipper circuit II is tobe the same as'the number of the pulse trains which constitute therhythm desired. However, as the inverting circuit I and the clippercircuit II can be used in duplicate in constituting the rhythm, thenumber of the two circuits is not necessarily the same as the number ofthe pulse trains. For example, even though five circuits are required toconstitute Bossa Nova, four circuits are required to constitute tangosand I0 circuits are required to constitute waltz, all the 19 circuitsare not required in order to play the three rhythms.

In FIG. 2, the waveform T represents the output pulses from tempooscillator 1 shown in FIG. 1. The numbers 1, 2, 3 denote the order ofthe pulse trains in tempo oscillator l. The waveforms A, A B, B C, C D,D and E, E represent, respectively the outputs from ternary countercircuits 3; flip flop 4; flip-flop 5; flip-flop 6 and flip-flop 7.

The operations of the inverting circuit I and the clipper cir cuit IIare explained in the following to which the output signals necessary toconstitute the desired rhythm applied out of the output signals of thecounter circuit 2.

I. When the output signals are applied to the inverting circuit I;

The output waveforms B, C, D and E out of counter circuit 2 are appliedto the input terminals of resistant circuit network 8 of the invertingcircuit I, as shown in FIG. 1, more particularly, to input terminals 17to 20 as shown in FIG. 3. The output waveforms applied provide a stairedwaveform F as shown in FIG. 5 at point P, in FIG. 3 through resistancesR to R in the same figure. As the waveform F is differentiated bydifferentiation circuit 9 in FIG. 1, which is comprised of capacitance Cand resistance 6 shown in FIG. 3, a pulse train of a waveform G as shownin FIG. 5 is provided at point P in FIG. 3. The

pulse train is inverted and rectified as a pulse train of waveform H asshown in FIG. 5, which has negative pulses only, through invertingrectifier 11 in FIG. 1, more particularly through the transformer T, andthe diodes D and D The pulse train thus obtained has a number ofnegative pulses, such as 4, l0, l3, 16, 22 and 25, as shown in FIG. 5.

2. When the output signals are applied to the clipper Circuit II;

The output waveforms A, C and D out of counter circuit 2 are applied tothe input terminals of resistant circuit network 8 of the clippercircuit II, as shown in FIG. 1, more particularly, to input terminals 22to 24 as shown in FIG. 4. The output waveforms applied provide a stairedwaveform I as shown in FIG. 6 at point P in FIG. 4 through resistances Rto R in the same figure. As the waveform I is clipped by clipper 10 witha voltage level of the reference voltage E, in Flg. l, which iscomprised of diode D shown in FIG. 4, a pulse train of a waveform J asshown in FIG. 6 is provided at point P, in FIG. 4. The pulse train isdifferentiated by differentiation circuit 12in FIG. 1, which iscomprised of capacitance C and resistance 11 shown in Flg. 4 to become apulse train of a waveform K as shown in FIG. 6. The pulse train isfurther rectified by diode D shown in FIG. 4 to finally become a pulsetrain of a waveform L as shown in FIG. 6. The pulse train thus obtainedhas a number of negative pulses, such as 2, 5, 26 and 29, as shown inFIG. 6.

When the inverting circuit I and the clipper circuit II are actuallyused to obtain an automatic rhythm performance device, one of the twocircuits are used in plural or the two circuits are used in combination,in other words the n inverting circuits I to I, and the m clippercircuits II, to II are utilized.

As explained above, in this invention a number of pulse trains areselected out of the pulse trains H, H, I-I,...... H, produced by theinverting circuits 1,, I, l I,,, respectively and out of the pulsetrains L, L L L,, produced by the clipper circuits II II,,, II,-

II, and are synthesized to obtain a desired rhythm.

More particularly, in FIG. 1, it is shown that pulse trains H, H, L andL;, are connected to rhythm selector 13a. Rhythm selectors 13b, 13c aresimilarly connected to a number of pulse trains specifically selected.When rhythm selector 13a is to be actuated to obtain a rhythm desired,such as tangos, the outputs of rhythm selector 13a are applied to anumber of percussive sound generators 14a, 14b, 14c and 14d. The outputof each of the four percussive sound generators provides, a respectivemusic, such as, bongo music, maracas music, cymbal music and snare drummusic. These outputs from the percussive sound generators aresynthesized in amplifier l5 and applied to speaker 16 to generate arhythm, tangos.

When rhythm selector 13b is to be actuated to obtain a rhythm desired,such as waltz, the outputs of the rhythm selector are applied to thepercussive sound generators used to provide the rhythm waltz to generatea rhythm, waltz, from the speaker. In this manner, rhythm selector 13cetc. are actuated to obtain actuated to obtain a rhythm, such as mambo,Bossa Nova, trot.

If the circuits shown in FIG. 1 is prepared by means of printedresistance and capacitance the circuits can be naturally made in amass-production system to make the cost of the rhythm performance devicecheaper and this means a remarkable improvement in the industrial fieldconcerned.

What is claimed is;

1. An automatic rhythm performance device comprised of:

a counter circuit connected to a tem o oscillator having variablefrequency; inverting circuits inc udrng serially connected resistantcircuit networks, differentiation circuits and inverting rectifiers,said inverting circuits being connected to said counter circuit; clippercircuits including serially connected resistant circuit networks,clippers and differentiation circuits, said clipper circuits being alsoconnected to said counter circuit; rhythm selectors connected topredetermined circuits of said inverting circuits and said clippercircuits; percussive sound generators connected to said rhythm selectorsand a speaker whereby the output signals out of said counting circuit issynthesized by means of said inverting circuits and said clippercircuits to provide a pulse train of a desired rhythm and to actuatesaid percussive sound generator by said pulse train.

l l l=

1. An automatic rhythm performance device comprised of: a countercircuit connected to a tempo oscillator having variable frequency;inverting circuits including serially connected resistant circuitnetworks, differentiation circuits and inverting rectifiers, saidinverting circuits being connected to said counter circuit; clippercircuits including serially connected resistant circuit networks,clippers and differentiation circuits, said clipper circuits being alsoconnected to said counter circuit; rhythm selectors connected topredetermined circuits of said inverting circuits and said clippercircuits; percussive sound generators connected to said rhythm selectorsand a speaker whereby the output signals out of said counting circuit issynthesized by means of said inverting circuits and said clippercircuits to provide a pulse train of a desired rhythm and to actuatesaid percussive sound generator by said pulse train.